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Elton John had a hit song in the '80s called "I'm Still Standing". I have identified with that song in that I understand the concept of never giving up and giving into the temptation to feel that we're doomed. Survival has always been the challenge most of us face at one time or another. Right now most of us are wondering how low can the economy go before we see daylight again. Loosing a job in a career that I devoted 36 years to was not the worst thing to ever happen. The world didn't stop spinning and the sun continued to come up every morning. I get a lot of emails from people wanting to know when I will be back on the air. Getting up again at 3:45 a.m. isn't on the radar for now. Thank you for the concern and kind words but I have discovered that I don't need to be in the public eye for validation. My kids give me validation. You wonderful people of my hometown give me the drive to face another day. Last weekend the girls and I took the 3 minute walk from the house to the First Methodist Church for services. My Sunday school teacher was Curtis Watson who taught me English my junior and senior year of high school. He directed our theater productions and it dawned on me that I have a degree in theater arts from West Georgia because of his influence. I got to see Sam Farmer and his younger brother Sonny who is now a clone of their dad Melvin Farmer who got up way before the chickens got up to drive to the Ford plant in Hapeville for many years. Sam has gone to Iraq more than once serving America. Seeing another class mate from dear old Tally High Claire Allen brought back memories of our class that was more like a family than anything else. I think that I heard that Claire was involved with helping people in a hospice face their final days on this earth. I have always admired Claire for her heart and generosity of spirit. I really enjoyed Curtis Watson's Sunday school class. He is the kind of teacher I aspire to be .. The people at the First Methodist Church are blessed to have Jimmy Bryan as the pastor. He is informational in his sermons and informal in his approach to a Sunday service. I saw Dr. Ken Roberts in the pews and remember the orange smashes and lemon sours from his marble soda fountain at Robert's Rexall Pharmacy. Do any of you remember the round tables where you could enjoy a banana split made by Mr. Hucheson who worked for Dr. Roberts for years?

I guess one Sunday I will try to go to the church I was raised in up on the corner of Lyon Street and Head Avenue. I understand they have an outstanding preacher as well. The girls and I get invitations to visit all the time. The invites are deeply appreciated. Joanne Bagwell called to extend the red carpet at First Baptist just last weekend.

Another thing I appreciate about Tallapoosa is Mayor Pete Bridges has a "hands on" approach to his administration. He walks the walk more than he talks the talk. I am yet to come to Tallapoosa the past year without seeing Pete riding in his white Ford F-250 truck looking for opportunities to help people. We have never had anyone from Cobb County government knock on my door asking what they could do for us.

Dr. Howard Shealy a great professor of history at Kennesaw State and a Tallapoosa native who asked me if I remember the red light near the old high school blinked yellow after 11 p.m.? He also brought up the memory of hubcaps back then. Now you can have rims and wheels that can cost thousands. A Tallapoosa neighbor "Bam Bam" has an '89 Caprice with rims that can blind you when the sun hits them. I never had a car worth more than a couple of hundred dollars when growing up in Tallapoosa. The first car I ever financed was a '65 Mustang and the payment was $60.00 a month. That was 1970 and it has the distinction of being the only car I ever got a ticket in. I had to go before probate judge Rufus Brown the following morning and it probably wasn't a good thing that I was dating one of his daughters then. He didn't exactly read me the "riot act" but I haven't gotten a ticket since the Friday before Labor Day in 1971. Speaking of cars I want you all to keep a former classmate in your prayers. Lane Williams a local car dealer is struggling with a battle with cancer. I rode east bound on Highway 78 last weekend and saw a sign that said "Pray for Lane". Let's do because he is a fine person.

Rhubarb Jones is a Tallapoosa native and is a Distinguished Lecturer in the Department of Communication and is director of special projects in the office of university development at Kennesaw State University. Comments are welcome at P.O. Box 1001, Tallapoosa, Georgia, 30176 or via email at Rhubarbjones@aol.com